


Throughout the Darkness

by princeakari



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-09 06:31:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17401796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princeakari/pseuds/princeakari
Summary: Kyleigh was in the midst of the battle striking down wolves and earthborn alike. There was a dangerous rage in her eyes, a thirst for the blood for monsters that kept her fighting, even past the limits of human exhaustion. That's when Jason realized she wasn't strong because she was the best fighter, or because she was the most powerful demigod. She didn't have any special skills, she was strong purely because she had no fear, and her thirst for vengeance couldn't be stopped.





	1. Chapter 1

Buckle your seatbelts, motherfuckers, because I'm about to learn you a thing I learned myself about two hours ago. So sit down, shut up, and enjoy the experience of my 4am caffeine-induced-self-hatred-fueled writing extravaganza. Get ready to enjoy the story of my life after the second Titan war, or more so, my death.

It all started the day before Percy Jackson disappeared. I had been angry, depressed even.

During the Second Titan War I had lost my brother Michael Yew, the short, quick tempered, son of Apollo who had made me feel like I had a family. I Had lost multiple other friends from Charles Beckendorf to Luke Castellan. And then there was Bianca di Angelo. . . 

I was angry, with the gods, with everyone. So one night, huddled around a campfire, I lashed out.

Everyone was looking through memories, laughing. Percy sat across to me, next to his girlfriend Annabeth. Nico di Angelo sat next to me. He had been around camp recently, he had become my friend. On the other side of me sat Will Solace, a relatively new son of Apollo. He and I had become considerably close, bonding since the moment he had arrived. 

"Remember when Michael Yew beat Clarisse in a fight?" Percy smiled, looking at me. My smile faded. The image of him falling toward the water as the bridge collapsed flooded through my brain. 

"I remember searching for his body for three weeks." I whispered. A despicable thing, I knew how horrible Percy had felt. I knew Michael had told him to do it. I still don't know why I said it, but I did. 

Percy shut down. The glimmer of happiness in his eye fading. He looked down at the ground. 

"I'm sorry I-" I winced, stopping my apology. "I don't understand how you let that happen."

Nico grabbed my arm, starting to pull me away from the group. "I think you need some sleep. You're over tired, and saying things you don't mean."

When he grabbed me, a tremor went through my body. I swung my leg out, kicking his feet out from underneath him. I twisted out of his grasp.

PTSD is the best way to explain it, lots of demigods suffered from it after the war. Little things, like being grabbed pushed demigods into battle mode. Or certain phrases or words sent demigods that suffered from it into fits. Others stared at their blades for a little to long. Some woke up in the middle of the night screaming. Not everyone came out okay.

"What the hell?" Annabeth asked, standing up. 

Nico jumped up to his feet. "No, no it's okay. I shouldn't have grabbed her." Nico acknowledged holding both of his hands up to stop Annabeth from making a move. 

"I love you." Annabeth breathed. "But you need to get yourself together. It's hard enough to see you like this, but when you hurt people. . ." 

"It's not that easy!" I cried. "You can't just get over this kind of stuff. Not everyone came out okay, like you. Not everyone can sleep through the night! Not everyone can just go back to normal after the war!"

"We've all lost someone." She spoke.

"I've lost everyone." I shivered. "My mom was murdered. My closest brothers died before my eyes. And Bianca. . . ." I trailed off. "I'm trying."

"Ky." Nico started.

"I don't need your help." I breathed, speaking more to myself than him. I looked back at Percy for a moment and caught his eyes. He didn't look angry, just sad. "I'm sorry." I said, no more than a whisper. With that, I walked off into the dark night. 

. . .

Four days later I sat on the beach, watching the sunrise. 

"Morning Ky." Annabeth greeted as she sat down next to me.

She hadn't been able to sleep since Percy had been gone.

"Any updates?" I asked hopefully.

"I think I've found him." She breathed. I quickly turned my head to look at her. "It was in my dream. I think he's at the grand canyon, the guy with one shoe is the answer." 

"That's amazing." I was overjoyed. 

"Will you come?" She asked.

I turned my head back to the water. "I don't think he really wants to see me right now."

"Hey, you didn't mean those things. He knows that. I told you that him and I talked about it afterwards."

"But-"

"It's not your fault Kyleigh." She stated firmly. "I need you to know that."

"Okay." I breathed. "It's just, with Nico. . ."

"Nico has never liked it here anyways. He's quick to push people away when he's hurt. Considering how close you have become these past few months, I wouldn't be surprised if what you said hit him hard." She paused. "You are the first person he's opened up to really."

"Yeah." I breathed.

"He'll be back." She assured me, placing her hand on my shoulder. "I know he will."

"But now, we have to find Percy." I stated, standing up. 

Annabeth smiled,"Damn right."

I loved flying. I had learned to love the free air when I trained with the Amazons for the five months leading up to the Second Titan War. I had learned how to free fall, thousands of feet. The beauty of falling with the assist of my powers, photokinesis. I couldn't seem to return after the war was over. 

The extraction team was Butch, Annabeth, and I. We borrowed Will's chariot. He had spent weeks building it. Gleeson Hedge was there with two kids, and hopefully, my best friend Percy. When we were hovering above the skywalk, I looked down searching briefly for Percy. I didn't see him. I jumped down, landing softly on the unstable skywalk.

I walked toward the trio. There was a curly haired, latino looking boy, a tan girl with choppy hair, and a blond boy with a scar on his upper lip. I stared at them.

The curly haired boy smiled at brushed a hand through his hair. "Hello beautiful." His voice cracked, he was nervous. 

I brushed past the flirt. "Where's Hegde?" I asked, once I was sure Percy wasn't there. 

The flirt cleared his throat. “He got taken by some … tornado things.”

“Venti,” The blond said. “Storm spirits.”

I frowned. The blond had used the Roman term. “You mean anemoi thuellai? That’s the Greek term."

"Oh." The boy frowned. I stared at the boy with the scar, it felt like I knew him.

Annabeth ran over. "Where is he?" She demanded.

"Where's who?" The blond asked.

"Not here." I answered. "Gleeson was taken by anemoi thuellai apparently."

Annabeth growled, folding her arms.

"Who are you? What happened here?" I asked them softly.

The blond boy-Jason explained. 

"Guys, check it out." Butch said, pointing at Jason's feet.

I looked down. His left shoe was missing. "You have to be fucking with me." I groaned.

“The guy with one shoe,” said the bald dude. “He’s the answer.”  
“No,” the girl insisted. “He can’t be. I was tricked.” She glared up at the gods. “What do you want from me?” she screamed. “What have you done with him?”

The skywalk shuddered, and the horses whinnied urgently.  
“Annabeth, Ky” said Butch, “we gotta leave. Let’s get these three to camp and figure it out there. Those storm spirits might come back.”  
She fumed for a moment. “Fine.” She fixed Jason with a resentful look. “We’ll settle this later.”  
She turned on her heel and marched toward the chariot.  
Piper shook her head. “What’s her problem? What’s going on?”  
“Seriously,” Leo agreed.  
“We have to get you out of here,” Butch said. “I’ll explain on the way.”  
“I’m not going anywhere with her.” Jason gestured toward the blonde. “She looks like she wants to kill me.”

"I won't let her kill you." I promised. “Annabeth’s amazing. You gotta cut her some slack. She had a vision telling her to come here, to find a guy with one shoe. That was supposed to be the answer to her problem.”

"What problem?" Piper asked.

"One of our campers has been missing for three days. She's going out of her mind with worry." I told them. "We'd hoped he would be here."

"Who?" Jason asked.

"Percy Jackson." I stated.

When we were all in the chariot, I sat across from Jason. I stared at him, trying to figure out how I knew him. I couldn't shake the feeling that we had met before. Perhaps he belonged to the memories from the period of my life that I didn't remember. My time before camp half-blood.

Jason stared back. He seemed to be having the same mental block as I was. 

Leo interrupted my train of thought. "This is so cool!” He spit a pegasus feather out of his mouth. “Where are we going?” 

I laughed. Leo looked over and smiled, only to get hit by another Pegasus feather. I smiled at him, holding back laughter.

“A safe place,” Annabeth said. “The only safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood.”  
“Half-Blood?” Piper was immediately on guard. I wondered why. “Is that some kind of bad joke?”  
“She means we’re demigods,” Jason said. “Half god, half mortal.”  
Annabeth looked back. “You seem to know a lot, Jason. But, yes, demigods. My mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom. Kyleigh is a daughter of Apollo. Butch here is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess.”  
Leo choked. “Your mom is a rainbow goddess?”  
“Got a problem with that?” Butch said.  
“No, no,” Leo said. “Rainbows. Very macho.”  
“Butch is our best equestrian,” I added, setting up Leo for more jokes. “He gets along great with the pegasi.”  
“Rainbows, ponies,” Leo muttered.  
“I’m gonna toss you off this chariot,” Butch warned. 

"Hey, he's joking." I defended, trying to release the tension.

“Demigods,” Piper said. “You mean you think you’re … you think we’re—”  
Lightning flashed. The chariot shuddered, and Jason yelled, “Left wheel’s on fire!”  
I stepped back. Sure enough, the wheel was burning, white flames lapping up the side of the chariot.  
The wind roared. I glanced behind them and saw dark shapes forming in the clouds, there were storm spirits spiraling toward the chariot.  
She started to say, “Why are they—”  
“Anemoi come in different shapes,” I interrupted. “Sometimes human, sometimes stallions, depending on how chaotic they are. Hold on. This is going to get rough.”  
Butch flicked the reins. The pegasi put on a burst of speed, and the chariot blurred. 

Our home came into view. The cold gray ocean stretched out to the left. Snow-covered fields, roads, and forests spread to the right. Directly below us was the green valley, like an island of springtime, rimmed with snowy hills on three sides and water to the north. There were a cluster of buildings like ancient Greek temples, our cabins, a big blue mansion, ball courts, a lake, and the climbing wall that was spewing lava. 

Within seconds the wheels burned off and the chariot plummeted toward the ground. Annabeth and Butch tried to maintain control. The pegasi labored to hold the chariot in a flight pattern, but they seemed exhausted from their burst of speed, and bearing the chariot and the weight of five people was just too much.  
“The lake!” I yelled. “Aim for the lake!”

We hit the lake with a BOOM.

I opened my eyes underwater, using my powers to light up the area. The cold disoriented me, but I saw someone sinking. I swam toward them and grabbed their arm. It was Leo. I swam us up until I broke the surface. I gasped for air as the cold of the water continued to stab my body. I slapped Leo on the cheek. He opened his eyes and looked at me. 

"Am I dead?" He asked, coughing. 

I laughed shakily. "Not yet. Can you swim?" 

"Yeah." He nodded. We swam to the shore. Will came at me with a blanket. 

I shook my head and gestured to Leo. "Give it to him." 

Will dipped an eyebrow, but did it anyway. Leo huddled in the blanket and then looked at me.

"We can share, if you want." He held out his arm, opening up one side of the blanket. 

"Is this your master plan to flirt with me?" I asked him.

"No, this is my master plan to keep the girl who saved me warm." He countered.

I looked at him skeptically, but when a cold breeze sent chills through my body I quickly took Leo's offer. His body temperature was way higher than it should've been. My healing powers sent me alarms that his body temperature was at 102, way to high for the human body. 

"You're too hot." I warned.

"Who's flirting now?" He asked.

"This is serious, your body temperature is unnaturally high. It's-"

"That's normal for me." He cut me off.

I wasn't paying attention to what was going on until Drew stepped forward. I hated her.

“Well,” Drew said, “I hope they’re worth the trouble.”  
Leo snorted. “Gee, thanks. What are we, your new pets?”  
“No kidding,” Jason said. “How about some answers before you start judging us—like, what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?”  
“Jason,” Annabeth said, “I promise we’ll answer your questions. And Drew all demigods are worth saving. But I’ll admit, the trip didn’t accomplish what I hoped.”  
“Hey,” Piper said, “we didn’t ask to be brought here.”  
Drew sniffed. “And nobody wants you, hon. Does your hair always look like a dead badger?”

Piper stepped forward, probably ready to slap her.

"Drew do you ever shut the fuck up?" I asked. A chorus of ohhhhhs followed.

"Excuse me?" She asked, offended. 

I stepped forward. "I asked if you ever shut the fuck up. Because it seems to me like you don't." More ohhs followed. I took another step forward. "It is not your business to harass people who just got to this camp. I don't know if you remember- maybe because you didn't fight in the war- but we fought for freedom. And I sure as hell am not going to deal with your bullshit, so step off bitch." Drew stepped back. She knew the position I held at camp, I was held at the same standard as Percy. I was considered a hero.

I looked back at Piper and Leo whose mouths were hanging open with amused surprise.

“We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome,” Annabeth said, with another pointed look at Drew. “We’ll assign them each a guide, give them a tour of camp. Hopefully by the campfire tonight, they’ll be claimed.”  
“Would somebody tell me what claimed means?” Piper asked.  
Suddenly there was a collective gasp. Campers backed away. I was showered in a red light. I looked over at Leo, and sure enough floating over Leo’s head was a blazing holographic image —a fiery hammer.  
“That,” Annabeth said, “is claiming.”  
“What’d I do?” Leo backed toward the lake, accidentally tripping me. Then he glanced up and yelped. “Is my hair on fire?” He ducked, but the symbol followed him, bobbing and weaving so it looked like he was trying to write something in flames with his head.  
“This can’t be good,” Butch muttered. “The curse—”  
“Butch, shut up,” Annabeth said. “Leo, you’ve just been claimed—”  
“By a god,” Jason interrupted. “That’s the symbol of Vulcan, isn’t it?”  
All eyes turned to him.  
“Jason,” I started calmly, “how did you know that?”  
“I’m not sure.”

“Vulcan?” Leo demanded. “I don’t even LIKE Star Trek. What are you talking about?”  
“Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus,” I explained, “the god of blacksmiths and fire.”  
The fiery hammer faded, but Leo kept swatting the air like he was afraid it was following him. “The god of what? Who?”  
I turned to my brother. “Will, would you take Leo, give him a tour? Introduce him to his bunk-mates in Cabin Nine.”  
“Sure, Ky.”  
“What’s Cabin Nine?” Leo asked. “And I’m not a Vulcan!”  
“Come on, Mr. Spock, I’ll explain everything.” Will put a hand on his shoulder and steered him off toward the cabins. I watched Leo glance back at me several times.

I looked over Jason, a realization just beyond my reach. "Jason, hold out your arm." 

I saw exactly what I had expected, though I couldn't explain how I expected it. The tattoo was darkly etched, impossible to miss: a dozen straight lines like a bar barcode, and over that an eagle with the letters spqr.

I grasped his arm and ran my thumb over the tattoo. Short images flashed through my head, my mother with her tattoo, a roman style house in a city, a legion marching by, playing tag with a little blond boy. I returned to reality with a flash and staggered back. By the look on his face, he had seen my memories. 

"Kyleigh how did you know that-"

"I just felt it." I frowned.

“I’ve never seen marks like this,” Annabeth said. “Where did you get them?”  
Jason shook his head. “I’m getting really tired of saying this, but I don’t know.”

The other campers pushed forward, trying to get a look at Jason’s tattoo. The marks seemed to bother them a lot—almost like a declaration of war. Threatened by Romans almost.  
“They look burned into your skin,” I noticed.  
“They were,” Jason said. Then he winced as if his head was aching. “I mean … I think so. I don’t remember.”

Everyone was staring at me, almost as if waiting for a verdict.

“He needs to go straight to Chiron,” I decided. "I'll take him."

I grabbed his arm and led him toward the big house. 

"How did you know about my arm?" Jason asked in a hushed tone. "And what were those memories?"

"I don't know." I told him. "I don't remember anything from before camp half-blood except my mom's murder."

"So you have a memory problem too?"

"Yeah, except I haven't told anyone." I looked around us. "People tend to not trust people who don't know their own past."

"I've noticed." He muttered. "I feel like I know you."

I smiled at him. "I feel like I know you too. It's weird." 

"Maybe if I get my memories back, I'll be able to place who you are."

I laughed. "I hope, because it's driving me nuts." I looked at him. "And you will get your memories back, I'm sure of it."

We laughed awkwardly, falling into a silence. 

"Can I ask you a question?" Jason asked.

"Shoot."

"Why do you seem so sad?" He questioned.

My heart fell. "I don't know." I mumbled, inwardly panicking. 

"You can trust me. Besides, I don't know anyone to tell your secrets to."

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jean jacket. "My brothers died in the war. My best friend is missing." I shrugged.

He looked at me skeptically.

"There's a part of myself that I hate." I admitted. "It's always been enough to have my brothers and Percy, but they're gone now."

"You're not alone." Jason said. "You have Will and Annabeth, and you have me now." 

I smiled. "Thank you."

"So you fought in a war. You called it the Second Titan War?" He asked. 

"Yeah, at first they wouldn't let me fight because I'm the best medic at camp because of my healing powers. But after I trained with the Amazons for some time they finally agreed because I was able to cause a lot of damage on the battlefield."

"Healing powers? Like Rapunzel?" Jason arched a brow.

I laughed. "I guess you could put it like that."

"Did you save a lot of lives?" He asked.

"Not enough." I answered as we reached the big house. Chiron walked out onto the porch and gave me a wide smile. "This is Jason, he's one of the three we picked up today." 

Jason backed up so fast he tripped and fell on his ass. I laughed so hard that I got stomach cramps. I helped Jason up. When Chiron registered Jason's face he became very pale.

"You. . . ." Chiron's eyes flashed like a cornered animal. "You should be dead."


	2. chapter 2

"What do you mean, he should be dead?" I asked, unsettled. Chiron looked at Jason cautiously, before taking in a deep breath. Chiron ordered Jason—well, invited, but it sounded like an order—to come inside the house. Once Jason was in the house Chiron turned back to look at me.  
"I do believe that you want to come in as well?" He asked, stepping aside.  
"You're letting me sit in on a private conversation?" I asked my mentor, raising an eyebrow. Chiron let out a snort of laughter. 

"Don't I always?" Chiron answered, waving me toward the door. I gave him a wide smile and vaulted up the stairs and into the Big House. Chiron followed me in and shut the door. I quickly walked into the other room and sat on the familiar couch. As Jason walked in the Jaguar head on the wall snarled at Jason, making him jump back at least five feat.

“Now, Seymour,” Chiron chided. “Jason is a friend. Behave yourself.”

“That thing is alive!” Jason said.

Chiron rummaged through the side pocket of his wheelchair and brought out a package of Snausages. He threw one to the leopard, who snapped it up and licked his lips.

“You must excuse the décor,” Chiron said. “All this was a parting gift from our old director before he was recalled to Mount Olympus. He thought it would help us to remember him. Mr. D has a strange sense of humor.”  
“Mr. D,” Jason said. “Dionysus?”

“Mmm hmm.” Chiron poured lemonade, though his hands were trembling a little. “As for Seymour, well, Mr. D liberated him from a Long Island garage sale. The leopard is Mr. D’s sacred animal, you see, and Mr. D was appalled that someone would stuff such a noble creature. He decided to grant it life, on the assumption that life as a mounted head was better than no life at all. I must say it’s a kinder fate than Seymour’s previous owner got.”

Seymour bared his fangs and sniffed the air, as if hunting for more Snausages.

“If he’s only a head,” Jason said, “where does the food go when he eats?”

“Better not to ask,” Chiron said. “Please, sit.” Jason approached slowly and sat next to me on the couch. He sat awfully close, as if he was ready to jump behind me if Seymour came out of the wall and after him.  
Jason took some lemonade just as Chiron sat back in wheelchair, and tried for a smile. But I was pretty sure both me and Jason could tell it was forced.  
“So, Jason,” he said, “would you mind telling me—ah—where you’re from?”

“I wish I knew.” Jason told him the whole story, from waking up on the bus to crash-landing at Camp Half-Blood. He didn’t see any point in hiding the details, and Chiron was a good listener. He didn’t react to the story, other than to nod encouragingly for more.

When Jason was done, Chiron sipped his lemonade. I studied the both of them, wanting to understand both of their thoughts, wanting to know why Jason should be dead. But to do that I would have to go into Chiron's head, and I refused to do that to anyone.

“I see,” Chiron said. “And you must have questions for me.”

“Only one,” Jason admitted. “What did you mean when you said that I should be dead?”

Chiron studied him with concern, as if he expected Jason to burst into flames. “My boy, do you know what those marks on your arm mean? The color of your shirt? Do you remember anything?”

Jason looked at the tattoo on his forearm: SPQR, the eagle, twelve straight lines.

“No,” he said. “Nothing.”

“Do you know where you are?” Chiron asked. “Do you understand what this place is, and who I am?” Chiron had asked so many questions I had already lost count of how many there were.

“You’re Chiron the centaur,” Jason said. “I’m guessing you’re the same one from the old stories, who used to train the Greek heroes like Heracles. This is a camp for demigods, children of the Olympian gods.”

“So you believe those gods still exist?”

“Yes,” Jason said immediately. “I mean, I don’t think we should worship them or sacrifice chickens to them or anything, but they’re still around because they’re a powerful part of civilization. They move from country to country as the center of power shifts—like they moved from Ancient Greece to Rome.”

“I couldn’t have said it better.” Chiron spoke in latin. “So you already know the gods are real. You have already been claimed, haven’t you?” Chiron was testing Jason, and luckily for me I would understand it. 

“Maybe,” Jason answered in latin without a second thought. “I’m not really sure.” Seymour snarled at the use of the Roman language. Chiron waited, and within a moment Jason realized what had happened.

“Quis erat—” Jason faltered, then made a conscious effort to speak English. “What was that?”

“You know Latin,” Chiron observed. “Most demigods recognize a few phrases, of course. It’s in their blood, but not as much as Ancient Greek. No one can speak Latin fluently without practice. Kyleigh happens to be the one exception. She's always been fluent in both Greek and Latin.” Chiron informed, gesturing to me.  
The fire reflected in Chiron’s eyes, making them dance fretfully. “I taught your namesake, you know, the original Jason. He had a hard path. I’ve seen many heroes come and go. Occasionally, they have happy endings. Mostly, they don’t. It breaks my heart, like losing a child each time one of my pupils dies. But you—you are not like any pupil I’ve ever taught. Your presence here could be a disaster.” I frowned, confused.

“Thanks,” Jason said. “You must be an inspiring teacher.”

“I am sorry, my boy. But it’s true. I had hoped that after Percy’s success—”

"Percy?" I chimed in.

“Percy Jackson, you mean. Annabeth’s boyfriend, the one who’s missing.”

Chiron nodded. “I hoped that after he succeeded in the Titan War and saved Mount Olympus, we might have some peace. I might be able to enjoy one final triumph, a happy ending, and perhaps retire quietly. I should have known better. The last chapter approaches, just as it did before. The worst is yet to come.” I wished I hadn't understood what Chiron was talking about.

In the corner, the arcade game made a sad pew-pew-pew-pew sound, like a Pac-Man had just died.

“Ohh-kay,” Jason said. “So—last chapter, happened before, worst yet to come. Sounds fun, but can we go back to the part where I’m supposed to be dead? I don’t like that part.”

“I’m afraid I can’t explain, my boy. I swore on the River Styx and on all things sacred that I would never …” Chiron frowned. “But you’re here, in violation of the same oath. That too, should not be possible. I don’t understand. Who would’ve done such a thing? Who would dare bring you here?" Suddenly Jason was standing across the room with his sword out.  
"Jason, what. . ." I trailed off, with a frown.  
“Probably the lady in the mist,” Jason offered.

Chiron looked up in surprise. “Weren’t you just sitting … why do you have a sword drawn?”

“I hate to tell you this,” Jason said, “but I think your leopard just ate a goddess.”

Jason looked up at us and explained what had happened, how a goddess had just contacted him. How she 'owned' him. About how he had four days to save her.

“Oh, dear,” Chiron murmured. “That does explain a lot.”

“Then why don’t you explain a lot to me?” Jason said. “Please.” 

Before Chiron could say anything, footsteps reverberated on the porch outside. The front door blew open, and Annabeth and Rachel burst in, dragging Piper between them. Piper’s head lolled like she was unconscious. I jumped to my feet, instinctively throwing on a pair of medical gloves that had been in the back of my jean pocket.

“Hera’s cabin,” Annabeth gasped, like they’d run all the way. “Vision. Bad.”  
The redheaded girl looked up, and Jason saw that she’d been crying.  
“I think …” The redheaded girl gulped. “I think I may have killed her.”

"Put her down on the couch!" I ordered. They put her down on the couch as commanded.

“We’ve got to heal her,” Jason insisted. “There’s a way, right?”

I placed hands over her forehead. "Her mind is in a fragile state. Rachel, what happened?"

I felt a small tug in my stomach as I poured healing energy into Piper.

“I wish I knew,” she said. “As soon as I got to camp, I had a premonition about Hera’s cabin. I went inside. Annabeth and Piper came in while I was there. We talked, and then—I just blanked out. Annabeth said I spoke in a different voice.”  
“A prophecy?” Chiron asked.  
“No. The spirit of Delphi comes from within. I know how that feels. This was like long distance, a power trying to speak through me.”  
Annabeth ran in with a leather pouch. She knelt next to Piper. “Chiron, what happened back there—I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve heard Rachel’s prophecy voice. This was different. She sounded like an older woman. She grabbed Piper’s shoulders and told her—”  
“To free her from a prison?” Jason guessed.  
Annabeth stared at him. “How did you know that?”  
Chiron made a three-fingered gesture over his heart, like a ward against evil.  
“Jason, tell them. Annabeth, the medicine bag, please.” I held out my hand.

I trickled drops from a medicine vial into Piper’s mouth while Jason explained what had happened when the room froze—the dark misty woman who had claimed to be Jason’s patron.  
When he was done, no one spoke.  
“So does this happen often?” he asked. “Supernatural phone calls from convicts demanding you bust them out of jail?”  
“Your patron,” Annabeth said. “Not your godly parent?”  
“No, she said patron. She also said my dad had given her my life.”  
Annabeth frowned. “I’ve never of heard anything like that before. You said the storm spirit on the skywalk—he claimed to be working for some mistress who was giving him orders, right? Could it be this woman you saw, messing with your mind?”

“I don’t think so,” Jason said. “If she were my enemy, why would she be asking for my help? She’s imprisoned. She’s worried about some enemy getting more powerful. Something about a king rising from the earth on the solstice—”  
Annabeth turned to Chiron. “Not Kronos. Please tell me it’s not that.”  
The centaur looked miserable.

At last he said, “It is not Kronos. That threat is ended. But …”  
“But what?” i asked.  
I closed the medicine bag.

“Piper needs rest. We should discuss this later.” Chiron spoke.  
“Or now,” Jason said. “Sir, Mr. Chiron, you told me the greatest threat was coming. The last chapter. You can’t possibly mean something worse than an army of Titans, right?”  
“Oh,” Rachel said in a small voice. “Oh, dear. The woman was Hera. Of course. Her cabin, her voice. She showed herself to Jason at the same moment.”  
“Hera?” Annabeth’s snarl was even fiercer than Seymour’s. “She took you over? She did this to Piper?”  
“I think Rachel’s right,” Jason said. “The woman did seem like a goddess. And she wore this—this goatskin cloak. That’s a symbol of Juno, isn’t it?”

“It is?” Annabeth scowled. “I’ve never heard that.”  
Chiron nodded reluctantly. “Of Juno, Hera’s Roman aspect, in her most warlike state. The goatskin cloak was a symbol of the Roman soldier.”  
“So Hera is imprisoned?” I asked. “Who could do that to the queen of the gods?”

Annabeth crossed her arms. “Well, whoever they are, maybe we should thank them. If they can shut up Hera—”  
“Annabeth,” Chiron warned, “she is still one of the Olympians. In many ways, she is the glue that holds the gods’ family together. If she truly has been imprisoned and is in danger of destruction, this could shake the foundations of the world. It could unravel the stability of Olympus, which is never great even in the best of times. And if Hera has asked Jason for help—”  
“Fine,” Annabeth grumbled. “Well, we know Titans can capture a god, right? Atlas captured Artemis a few years ago. And in the old stories, the gods captured each other in traps all the time. But something worse than a Titan … ?”  
Jason looked at the leopard’s head. Seymour was smacking his lips like the goddess had tasted much better than a Snausage. “Hera said she’d been trying to break through her prison bonds for a month.”  
“Which is how long Olympus has been closed,” I realized. “So the gods must know something bad is going on.”  
“But why use her energy to send me here?” Jason asked. “She wiped my memory, plopped me into the Wilderness School field trip, and sent you a dream vision to come pick me up. Why am I so important? Why not just send up an emergency flare to the other gods—let them know where she is so they bust her out?”  
“The gods need heroes to do their will down here on earth,” Rachel said. “That’s right, isn’t it? Their fates are always intertwined with demigods.”  
“That’s true,” Annabeth said, “but Jason’s got a point. Why him? Why take his memory?”

"Maybe this is about something bigger than Camp Half-Blood." I suggested. 

"What do you mean-"

I fixed my eyes on Chiron. “Why are you so quiet, Chiron? What is it we’re facing?”  
The old centaur’s face looked like it had aged ten years in a matter of minutes. The lines around his eyes were deeply etched. “My dear, in this, I cannot help you. I am so sorry.”  
I blinked. “You’ve never … you’ve never kept information from me. Even the last great prophecy—”  
“I will be in my office.” His voice was heavy. “I need some time to think before dinner. Rachel, will you watch the girl? Call Argus to bring her to the infirmary, if you’d like. And Kyleigh, you should speak with Jason. Tell him about—about the Greek and Roman gods.”  
"But …”  
The centaur turned his wheelchair and rolled off down the hallway. I glared at Chiron's back. I cursed in Greek.  
“I’m sorry,” Jason said. “I think my being here—I don’t know. I’ve messed things up coming to the camp, somehow. Chiron said he’d sworn an oath and couldn’t talk about it.”  
“I’ve never seen him act this way. And why would he tell me to talk to you about the gods...” I pondered.  
My voice trailed off as I noticed Jason's sword on the coffee table. I finally pulled off my gloves and touched the sword gingerly. I frowned, it was gold.

“Is this gold?” I mused. “Do you remember where you got it?”  
“No,” Jason said. “Like I said, I don’t remember anything.”

I met his eyes, he seemed afraid I wouldn't believe him. "I believe you." I paused, coming up with a plan.“If Chiron won’t help, we’ll need to figure things out ourselves. Which means … Cabin Fifteen. Rachel, Annabeth you’ll keep an eye on Piper?”  
“Sure,” Rachel promised. “Good luck, you two.”  
“Hold on,” Jason said. “What’s in Cabin Fifteen?”  
I stood. “Maybe a way to get your memory back.”  
We headed toward a newer wing of cabins in the southwest corner of the green. Some were fancy, with glowing walls or blazing torches, but Cabin Fifteen was not so dramatic. It looked like an old-fashioned prairie house with mud walls and a rush roof. On the door hung a wreath of crimson flowers—red poppies.  
“You think this is my parent’s cabin?” he asked.  
“No,” I assured him. “This is the cabin for Hypnos, the god of sleep.”  
“Then why—”  
“You’ve forgotten everything,” I said. “If there’s any god who can help us figure out memory loss, it’s Hypnos.”

Inside, even though it was almost dinnertime, three kids were sound asleep under piles of covers. A warm fire crackled in the hearth. Above the mantel hung a tree branch, each twig dripping white liquid into a collection of tin bowls. Jason was tempted to catch a drop on his finger just to see what it was, but he held himself back.  
Soft violin music played from somewhere. The air smelled like fresh laundry. Jason's knees began to buckle. I nudged his shoulder. “Snap out of it.”  
“Cabin Fifteen does that to everyone,” I warned. “If you ask me, this place is even more dangerous than the Ares cabin. At least with Ares, you can learn where the land mines are.”  
“Land mines?”  
I walked up to the nearest snoring kid and shook his shoulder. “Clovis! Wake up!”

The kid looked like a baby cow. He had a blond tuft of hair on a wedge-shaped head, with thick features and a thick neck. His body was stocky, but he had spindly little arms like he’d never lifted anything heavier than a pillow.  
“Clovis!” I shook harder, then finally knocked on his forehead about six times.  
“Wh-wh-what?” Clovis complained, sitting up and squinting. He yawned hugely, and smiled at me tiredly.   
“Stop that!” Annabeth said. “We need your help.”  
“I was sleeping.”  
“You’re always sleeping.”  
“Good night.”  
Before he could pass out, I yanked his pillow off the bed.  
“That’s not fair,” Clovis complained meekly. “Give it back.”  
“First help,” I said. “Then sleep.”  
Clovis sighed. His breath smelled like warm milk. “Fine. What?”  
I explained about Jason’s problem. Every once in a while I’d snap my fingers under Clovis’s nose to keep him awake.  
Clovis must have been really excited, because when I was done, he didn’t pass out. He actually stood and stretched, then blinked at Jason. “So you don’t remember anything, huh?”  
“Just impressions,” Jason said. “Feelings, like …”  
“Yes?” Clovis said.  
“Like I know I shouldn’t be here. At this camp. I’m in danger.”  
“Hmm. Close your eyes.”

Jason glanced at me worriedly.

"It's okay, I'm here." I promised calmly.

Jason closed his eyes. His knees buckled as he passed out. I caught Jason and carried him over to the chair by the fire. 

"You're pretty strong, sunny D." Clovis noticed. 

"You have to be strong to be a medic, to be able to carry people away from danger." I told him. 

"Makes sense." He nodded. 

Clovis placed his hands on Jason's temples, closing his eyes. I watched as Jason's form began to flicker. Clovis opened his eyes. 

"It's serious isn't it?" I frowned, crossing my arms.

"Oh, it's serious all right." 

“What happened?” Jason said. “How long—”  
"Just a few minutes,” I assured him. “But it was tense. You almost dissolved.”  
“Usually,” Clovis said, “memories are lost for a good reason. They sink under the surface like dreams, and with a good sleep, I can bring them back. But this …”  
“Lethe?” I asked.  
“No,” Clovis said. “Not even Lethe.”  
“Lethe?” Jason asked.  
Clovis pointed to the tree branch dripping milky drops above the fireplace. “The River Lethe in the Underworld. It dissolves your memories, wipes your mind clean permanently. That’s the branch of a poplar tree from the Underworld, dipped into the Lethe. It’s the symbol of my father, Hypnos. Lethe is not a place you want to go swimming.”  
I nodded. “I went there once. It was powerful enough to wipe the mind of a Titan.”  
“But … that’s not my problem?”  
“No,” Clovis agreed. “Your mind wasn’t wiped, and your memories weren’t buried. They’ve been stolen.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!


End file.
